


Instinct

by dreamsheartstory



Series: The Things That Define Us [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-26
Updated: 2014-10-26
Packaged: 2018-02-19 10:26:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2384993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamsheartstory/pseuds/dreamsheartstory
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They can't explain it, but instinct draws them together.</p><p>prequel to <a href="http://archiveofourown.org/works/2248107/chapters/4933566">Strength of Will</a>.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> For days 2 & 3 of [Red Queen Week](http://redqueenweek.tumblr.com/).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What if Ruby was the reason Regina was so calm when the mob showed up on her doorstep?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Day 2 of [Red Queen Week](http://redqueenweek.tumblr.com/).  
> Prompt: Trope (Love at First Punch)

One moment she was Ruby and the next she was two people, maybe three if you included the wolf. She was Ruby and Red and the Big Bad Wolf. She was the Big Bad Wolf. She had killed people. Some of them people that she loved. Eaten them, leaving nothing but smears of blood and bone. A killer. Ruthless. Not nearly as good as she had thought. More than the promiscuous young thing stuck in a small town.

There was a moment though, between hugging Granny and Snow and Charming, clinging to them, where everything was right again. They were together again, the curse hadn’t killed them, hadn’t destroyed them. She could feel it bubbling inside her, threatening to spill out: happiness. With every old friend found again, every reunion she felt her smile widen until her face ached with it. Tears threatened the corners of her eyes. Her memories coming back in waves.

She was a werewolf, a beast. Powerful but cursed. The duality of her nature was overwhelming. Parts of herself, of Ruby, suddenly made sense, cravings and desires brought on by the wolf locked away by the curse The Evil Queen had cast. Both her lives fought for a place in her mind, which was real, which was fabricated. She had lived so much of both neither would be denied. At least as Ruby she had never known the pain that Red had known. She couldn’t swallow, her heart breaking again for the love she had lost. Her ghosts squeezed her heart threatening to stop it. Despite remembering her real life she was still Ruby in her mind. Neither life was less real than the other. She would never be just Red again. Ruby was her second chance. She didn’t have to be the monster. The Evil Queen, Regina, of all people had given that chance to her.

Shouts echoed from the next street over, angry cries calling for blood. A mob flooded the street in front of them. Individuals lost in the battle cry, the call for revenge. Hate radiated from the throbbing mass like heat. Breaking free from the group Archie Hopper ran toward the ragtag reunion.

Gasping for breath he started speaking before he had even stopped running, “There you are, come with me. I need your help. Doctor Whale’s worked everyone into a frenzy. They’re going to Regina’s house. They’re going to kill her.”

“Great let’s watch,” Leroy, Grumpy, intoned from the middle of the pack.

“No. No, we cannot sink to her level. No matter who she is or what she’s done, killing her is wrong.”

“Archie’s right. Please. She’s still my mom.” Henry begged. Ruby felt a pang in her heart. She had a soft spot for Henry, having spent who knows how many hours at the diner chatting with him, watching him grow. He was a good kid. It wasn’t his fault his mom turned out to be The Evil Queen.

“We have to stop them,” Emma reasoned.

Ruby started to back out of the crowd, a sense of urgency coming over her. This was horrible. The mob couldn’t take Regina down, not like this. She had seen mobs like this before, sensible people whipped into a frenzy, losing their sense of individuality and simply following whosever’s voice was loudest. Mobs like this had come after her.

In a moment Ruby was running, cutting through an ally way. She jumped over a fence easily, outpacing the rest of the towns folk. She felt the need to warn Regina. The feeling tore at her gut. This wasn’t right. It wasn’t right to hunt down another person, corner them, surround them, overpower them with numbers just because of a wrong they had committed. Her legs moved quicker than they had in twenty eight years, feet pounding into the pavement. She ran.

“Regina!” Ruby pounded on the door. Gasping for breath she continued to call the mayor’s name. She could hear the mob approaching, their numbers making them move slowly. They were still several minutes off, from what she could hear. Her senses heightened by the wolf. It was strange to be have the wolf’s senses back again. She wasn’t quite sure why she was standing here, but the moment Dr. Hopper had ran at them saying a mob was after Regina her feet had moved on instinct, the wolf allowing her to run faster than any of the townsfolk. Her hand hovered over the door, poised to knock again. What was she doing.

“What do you want?” Regina spat, opening the door. Her makeup, usually perfect was smudged as if she had been crying. She stared down the taller woman, wondering what could possibly have brought Snow White’s pet wolf to her front door.

Ruby opened her mouth to speak but couldn’t find the words. Face to face with the mayor, The Evil Queen, her throat went dry. She tried to swallow so she could speak, “They’re coming to kill you.” The words tumbled out.

“And why are you telling me this?” Regina folded her arms across her chest, glaring at the younger woman, not trusting her motives. 

“Because I thought you deserved to know before the mob showed up at your door.” Ruby glanced behind her. “And thank you,” she whispered, frowning, not meaning to have voiced it at all.

“Well, you’ve done so,” Regina waved her hand at Ruby, starting to shut the door. “You can go.”

“Wait!” The werewolf glanced behind her again, she raised her nose on the air. The mob was growing closer.

“What do you want, wolf.” The former evil queen sneered. She wanted nothing more than to be left alone. Henry was taken. The curse was broken. All of her plans lay shattered at her feet. Regina caught Ruby’s gaze, daring her to speak, anger burning her up.

“You are infuriating! I’m trying to thank you!”  

“What could you possibly have to thank me for?” Regina found herself taking a step back, genuine surprise running through her, but her words were sharp.

“I’m not even sure why I came over here anymore.” The werewolf shook her head, growling, still wondering what had possessed her to run to the mayor. A strange sense of kinship, a fear of the mob, and this growing sense of gratitude for being given a second chance. It had been stupid.

“Then why don’t you leave, go take yourself for a walk and cool off.”

“What?”

“You heard me, mutt,” Regina spat.

It happened quickly, Ruby acted on instinct, not really thinking or deciding, but she had pulled back and punched Regina square on the jaw. For a moment the two women stared at each other, shocked. Ruby shook her hand, cursing and trying to alleviate the pain that was shooting through it.

Regina reached up to rub her jaw. It was tender already, she could feel it would bruise before morning. Pulling from deep inside she moved to pick up Ruby with her magic, hold the girl still while she punished her for her indiscretion. Nothing. The well of power where her magic used to dwell was dry. Her heart sped up. This couldn’t be happening, magic had returned to Storybrooke and she was still powerless. Not completely powerless, if it was a fight the girl wanted, she would get a fight. 

She grabbed the collar of Ruby’s jacket and shoved her against the door. Her forearm pressed against the werewolf’s sternum. She leaned into the girl pressing the length and weight of her body against Ruby to hold her in place. They matched glares and growls. Ruby bared her teeth, snapping them, bringing their faces closer. Regina realized that with the curse broken Ruby could likely overpower her with ease. Even in human form a werewolf is a fierce fighter and stronger than most humans. But Ruby didn’t fight to escape.

“Let me go!” Regina could feel Ruby’s breath on her face.

“Give me one good reason.” Regina pushed into Ruby again, their faces inches apart. She refused to go without a fight.

“I came over here to thank you.” Ruby relaxed against the door, letting Regina hold her in place. Her eyes flicked to the mayor’s lips. Ruby, the waitress, had wondered from time to time what those lips would feel like pressed against hers, what she tasted like. She shook her head to clear it. Things were no longer that simple.

“You keep saying that, but you sure as hell have a funny way of showing it.” Regina wiped her bleeding lip with the back of her hand, smearing a line of blood and lipstick across her cheek. Ruby inhaled the metallic tang.

“Just let me go already. I’m on your side!” That had not been what she intended to say.

“Fine.” The mayor shoved against Ruby one more time before letting the werewolf go and taking a step back. For a moment they stood in the doorway, assessing each other, breathing heavily. Regina attempted to fix her smudged make up. Ruby kept checking over her shoulder, looking for the mob. Her fists clenched, she bounced on her heels. If Snow saw she was here with Regina, she was certain it would not end well. Regina placed her hands on her hips, fanning her suit jacket behind her. She waited, mouth drawn tight in anger.

“There’s a mob coming. Pitchforks and torches. The whole nine yards.”

“Why are you here, telling me this, why suddenly change sides just when you’ve won?”

“Because I know what it’s like to be hunted, and you gave us all a second chance here in Storybrooke. It’s only fair that you get one too.”

For a moment Regina saw beyond the fact that Red was Snow White’s pet wolf and Ruby was little more than a promiscuous waitress. The waitress, Ruby, had always been a pleasant distraction, a bright spot to her morning. It had been more than seeing the powerful creature reduced to skin tight clothes and a penchant for red. She looked her over from the bright red nail polish to the ridiculous coat and painted on pants. Ruby would make a strange ally, but a powerful one if she regained her wolf. It had been a long time since someone had been on her side, her friend. Not that she would ever be friends with the werewolf. “Get in before someone sees you.”

Ruby took a deep breath, checking behind her before she stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind her. She had never been in the mayor’s house and it was even more opulent than she imagined. Somehow she still felt like she was walking into a trap despite the moment of civility that had settled between them. The Evil Queen stood at the top of the landing, her back still to Ruby. It seemed wrong that this was how it would all come out, too soon and rushed. It was wrong to want to say these things to this woman of all the people in Storybrooke.

“You gave us all a second chance. I had twenty eight years where I wasn’t haunted by who I am. What I am.” She stalked up the stairs, watching hungrily as the mayor turned toward her. “You could have made us all miserable, but you didn’t. Some things were almost, kind. You didn’t split up Granny and me, but you could have. You let me have my family.”

The older woman watched as the werewolf stalked up the stairs, soft words tumbling from her mouth, Red and Ruby trying to co-exist. The words felt true as if she really did believe the things she was saying. But all the kindness in the world wouldn’t bring Henry back right now. It wouldn’t stop the mob from crashing down her door and dragging her away. With her magic gone she was powerless against them.

“And what am I supposed to do with your thanks?” She wanted to reach out to the other woman, take in the kindness, but the world was pressing in on her. She felt trapped, her breath shallow. A trapped Regina was a dangerous Regina. She swallowed, trying to regain her composure, “You should go, join the mob. You don’t want them to think you’ve switched sides.” 

Tentatively Ruby reached out a hand, but let it drop before her fingers had a chance to ghost over Regina’s arm. She caught the other woman’s gaze, in it she saw a softness she hadn’t expected to see, a pain and loss. Resignation.

“You’ll just give them another reason to hate me. Go be my eyes and ears, little wolf.” Regina wasn’t entirely convinced the girl would return, but for now this was all she had, and Ruby had thought to warn her of the mob.

Ruby watched Regina, nodding slowly, still unsure how she found herself decidedly in the middle of this fight. It hadn’t been her intent to pick a side, pit friend against… friend? Were she and Regina friends? Perhaps not, but they weren’t enemies either. She nodded and moved to go back out the way she had come in.

“Not the front door.” She stepped in front of the younger woman, baring the way down the stairs.

“Right,” Ruby took a quick step forward catching Regina in a hug, leaving the older woman stunned before turning to run toward the back door. “Take care of yourself,” she called over her shoulder.

Behind her she could hear the mob banging on the door, trying to shout it down. Regina’s voice was strangely calm against the chaos as she answered, “Can I help you?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Regina isn't alone when she takes down the barrier around her castle in Fairy Tale Land.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For Day 3 of [Red Queen Week](http://redqueenweek.tumblr.com/).  
> Prompt: Not Quite Canon

Regina reached out a hand to the moving column of green energy and light flowing upward that created the shield around the castle. Her movements were calm and resigned, whatever happened would happen and then she could get on with it. She could sleep and forget this pain that had long past threatened to overwhelm her; there was nothing left but the pain of loss. If this is what being good meant, she didn’t know if she could ever truly be good.

The energy field shuddered, her magic reigning it back in. She felt the power in the spell, could taste it on the back of her tongue. The Wicked Witch would be a formidable foe, but that was behind her now; the Evil Queen would not be fighting any more battles. The last of her will to destroy had left when she had given everything she had to protect Henry. The barrier fell. Soon it would be time to sleep.

The once evil queen made her way to a stone bench overlooking the kingdom and sat down not really noticing the view. She toyed with the cursed needle in her hand, testing the pressure of it’s tip against her palm. Just a little bit more pressure and she would drift off into oblivion only waking if Henry came back to her. Regina’s breath caught in her throat and it was hard to swallow. She knew she would never make it through the next bit of forever knowing that she would never see her son again, knowing that he had no memories of her, he would never know what she had sacrificed for him. Her eyes burned with unshed tears.

Readying herself to enact the sleeping curse, she intoned her one hope, “I’m sorry, Henry. maybe one day you will find me and wake me up. But until then–“

“Regina,” Ruby said as she slid onto the bench next to the other woman. She sat close enough that their knees and elbows touched. Since the first curse had been broken the two women had become friends. At first uneasy allies, but they found solace and support in each other with each new threat. A darkness ran through both of them that the others didn’t understand. They both fought to be good despite their nature.

Unexpected. Regina had not imagined that anyone would be fool enough to follow her into the castle as she dropped the barrier, but of course it had been Ruby. She reached out gripping Ruby’s chin between her thumb and forefinger. “You always find me, little wolf.” Her hand moved to gently cup Ruby’s cheek. Her heart sank as she looked into the other woman’s eyes. Hope was something she couldn’t stomach right now.

“I didn’t want you to have to do this alone.” She bumped her shoulder against Regina’s. “You don’t have to do anything alone anymore.”

Nothing was ever that simple though. She was consumed by the feeling of loss. Regina stood, moving to rest against the balcony. Her throat was tight. Snow’s wolf was the only one by her side. Her only friend. But Ruby wasn’t Snow’s, not anymore. Red may have been loyal to her, but Ruby was the one who had followed her this far. There was a chance that she was right, she didn’t have to be alone.

“You should go. Help Snow White and Charming take back the castle.” Even if she was right, Regina had made her decision. She couldn’t go forward with Ruby here. Ruby confused things. Her kindness caused Regina to question her decision to sleep forever. There would be things she missed if she only had the resolve to prick her finger. Knowing the werewolf was by her side made that simple thing impossible. Her body ached with loss. Another day without Henry would break her. She turned the needle over in her hands. It would be so easy to make the pain stop.

“The barrier is down, come back with me. Help us take back the castle from The Wicked Witch.” Ruby said.

“I have other things I need to take care of.”

Ruby stepped forward reaching a hand out for the other woman, but let it fall short. She didn’t want to push her too far. The past few years had taught her to read the former Evil Queen.  Their friendship had started with a fight and was always at its most volatile when one of them was cornered. It was anything but easy and right now Regina was at her most vulnerable. Ruby never was one for taking the easy way though. She wouldn’t leave the castle without Regina.

Tentatively she took another step forward. She was close enough to feel the warmth radiating off of Regina’s body. The proximity was intoxicating. Ruby imagining turning the queen around, pressing her against the balcony, kissing her until she realized that she couldn’t curse herself. It was just a fantasy though. Convincing Regina could never be so simple. There was nothing simple about trying to kiss the other woman. She pushed the thought away.

Breathing deeply to steady her nerves she reached an arm around Regina’s, letting her fingers trail down the length of the other woman’s arm before settling around her hand, and the cursed pin it she held. She held her breath and waited for the worst. Ruby expected nothing less than a fight. She did not expect stilneess, she did not expect silence.

“How did you know?” Regina moved her hand indicating the pin that they both held. She turned to find a very worried werewolf staring her down, eyes lightened, the yellow of the wolf edging in, lips parted slightly, and standing much closer than Regina had thought. That look. Her resolve wavered for a moment. Waiting for Henry would mean leaving Ruby behind. She leaned against the balcony railing, trying to put as much distance between them as the taller woman would allow.

“Robin said he was worried. That this morning you made a forgetting potion. And you’ve been… distant since. Since you gave Henry to Emma to save us all.” 

The moment they had arrived back in Fairy Tale Land Regina had let herself pull away from everyone. Losing Henry had been overwhelming. And any friends she had made back in Storybrooke had been incidental. Ruby was never supposed to be anything more than a convenient ally. Someone she could rely on to keep her informed, but the werewolf had always managed to surprise her. “He shouldn’t have said anything.”

“Regina–”

“Don’t.”

“I know you’re hurting. I’ve been beside you these past few years. You gave up everything,” she paused, “almost everything.” Then in a whisper. “Don’t leave me.”

“Ruby, I can’t live like this. Without Henry.”

“We’ll find a way to get him back.”

Regina glanced up, watching a soft determination spread across Ruby’s features. The usually certain werewolf bit her lip shyly as she shifted forward. Regina sucked in a deep breath, willing her feet into the ground, when all she wanted to do was push the taller woman aside. She wanted silence and solace in knowing she wouldn’t have to feel again, not until the world was right. It would be so easy. She wouldn’t even know how much time had passed until she was woken. It would be so easy, but she didn’t move.

“Don’t do this,” Ruby placed her hands over Regina’s again. “We’ve been through so much since Emma broke the curse. I’ve seen you, the real you, behind the toughness. You should know more than anyone that I understand you. Our pasts are too similar. There is a reason I stand by your side, even if you won’t let me share it. You have helped me with so much, let me do this.” She gently began to uncurl Regina’s fingers from around the pin. “Let me help you.” 

It was such a little thing, but it held so much power. The moment froze the world around them. Their fingers sliding over the other’s. Exchanging glances, trying to read what the other was thinking, eyes flickering to lips before looking away. Ruby set the pin safely out of reach, moving into Regina as she returned. 

Regina had let her take it, her hope for this pain to end. This had never been a part of her plan, but she knew she could trust her little wolf. She always came back to her. The level of trust she put in Ruby made little sense, but it was an instinct she couldn’t shake. And now with her plan pulled apart, her heart bare, her hope rested in the gentle strength of Ruby’s long fingers.

Imperceptibly slow Ruby leaned forward and pressed her lips lightly against Regina’s. A small promise that they would make it through this day and that perhaps things would be okay in the end. Regina rested her hands on the other woman’s waist, pulling Ruby towards her. She felt her smile into their kiss as it deepened.

“Well, this is not exactly the welcome I was expecting.”

Ruby whipped around, teeth barred, her right arm thrown out to keep Regina behind her. She stared down the green creature that had interrupted them. The Wicked Witch. This was the woman who had taken over the castle.

 “What does a witch have to do to get your attention?” The Wicked Witch picked up the cursed pin from where Ruby had left it on the bench. “What’s the matter? Relationship not going well?”

A low growl escaped Ruby’s throat and she could feel the wolf stirring inside her. Regina placed a hand on her arm as she moved out from behind the taller woman, “None of your business.”

“You really don’t know who I am, do you?”

“I know exactly who you are. The Wicked Witch.” Regina replied.

“Is that all?”

“Don’t care much beyond that,” Ruby stepped forward again, stalking her prey, ready to attack.

With a wave of her hand The Wicked Witch trapped Regina and Ruby in place, their shoes melded with the floor. In that moment she had made two enemies, given them something and someone to fight, a way forward. They exchanged a glance, an unspoken understanding that they would not be going down without a fight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A couple weeks after the second curse is broken it’s the full moon. Ruby feels the need to change into the wolf, but no matter what she does she can’t. Set the day of Regina's show down with Zelena.

Nothing happened.

It was the second night of the full moon and Ruby had yet to shift. Barely a week since the second curse on Storybrooke had been broken and their memories of the lost year had returned and she was ready to run as the wolf. If she could run if she could turn maybe she could get rid of this feeling. One of her last memories before they came back had been of her and Regina. When they came back, having forgotten that year Regina had fallen in with Robin. Ruby needed to turn, she needed to forget. Except no matter how hard she tried she couldn’t turn. Last night had been a futile attempt and shifting and sleep. By now she had been awake for more than thirty-six hours.

Delirium had started to set in by the time she laced up her running shoes. After the first ten miles she was hoping she had drained enough of the energy coursing through her to sleep. Or pass out, or break down enough of her mental shields to let the wolf take over. If the wolf couldn’t run four paws to the ground, maybe it could be placated with her two feet and a long distance jaunt. The wolf could use her body to run.

After circling the town twice Ruby was ready to quit, but the wolf wasn’t. She could feel it stir inside her in a way it never had before. The wolf wasn’t just instinct and heightened senses, and turning furry once a month. Ruby could feel the other deep inside her where it lived, feel it brush against her, fur touching her insides. The wolf paced, looking for a way closer to the surface, the way out. For the first time in a long time the wolf scared her.

It had never manifested like this before. Ruby had never been unable to turn. It was terrifying. She didn’t know how to fix this, if it was even a thing to fix. Instinct had told her to run. The wolf was energy, if she could burn it, maybe she could burn down this growing desire, the sense that her skin would tear apart, the wolf ripping her apart from the inside with teeth and claws.

The ground beneath her feet had changed from asphalt to pine needles. She was somewhere on the edge of town. The smell of trees was sharp against her nose and there was a hint of an oncoming storm. Her muscles burned feeling more leaden and clumsy with each step. The wolf brushed against her again, closer to the surface. Her mind had wandered, walls breaking down and the wolf was closer to release. Maybe, just maybe she could change, heal, get the release that she desperately needed.

In her exhaustion she tripped over an exposed root, sprawling on the ground. Ruby managed to push up onto her hands an knees. Her head swam. Her mouth dry. She needed water, and food. And sleep. Her human body couldn’t keep up with the demands of the wolf.

Her breath came in gasps, forceful and pushing against her ribs. Her vision was clouded with red and black splotches. She could feel the wolf inside her angry because it wanted out and now. She could feel the wolf was staying its ground, wary of the current condition of its human host. Energy coursed through her, but she didn’t think she could move from where she had fallen. Not up or down, she was stuck on hands and knees, little bits of rock and twigs digging into her bare skin. The moon illuminated the path through the trees, a calm blue light in contrast with the wolf begging for release, a blinding heat. How long had she been running?

The wolf’s energy had forced her to run, hours longer than she had meant to. No one was expecting her home, no one would be looking for her tomorrow because she had the day off. Tears stung her eyes, she wouldn’t let the wolf take over like this. Summoning all of her strength she moved to stand up, but her arms shook and her elbows buckled with the effort. Rolling onto her back she looked up at the clear night sky peaking through between the tree branches.

What had gone so wrong this time?

The wolf had 

never

not come.

The cloak kept her from changing,

but this

this

was not

that.

This was the 

energy 

she used to fight.

The reason she 

blacked out.

This pain

desire

escape

 

___________________________________________

 

Regina had started walking just before sunset. She had a desperate need to clear her head. She had been avoiding Robin and searching for Ruby in equal parts since the memories of the lost year had returned. Life had become complicated in a way she had never expected, even more than her vengeful half-sister complicated things. Defeating evil, defeating others, was what The Evil Queen had excelled in and Regina still had a few tricks up her sleeve. Finding out your heart already belonged to someone else when you thought it was yours to give was not something she knew how to deal with. Especially when she thought she might be ready to give it to another.

The werewolf had been her ally, her friend. Before she sent Emma and Henry away Ruby had been her eyes and ears in the town. The girl had come to her time and time again, trying to help her, trying to keep the town from imploding. The town would have loved to see Regina burned for what she had done to them as The Evil Queen, but Ruby would quietly, one by one, talk them out of the mob. There was more than one instance where she had kept Regina from leveling them all with a flick of a well manicured hand.

Then there was the lost year. She could still feel Ruby’s lips pressed against hers after she had dropped the shield. The way Ruby had pulled her back from the edge of an almost irreversible decision to descend into oblivion. Every moment until the returned to Storybrooke she had been by her side. Where was her little wolf now?

She turned off the road and onto the path that lead into the woods behind her house feeling almost certain Ruby was avoiding her. Her almost something with Robin had not been the town’s best kept secret. Even when faced with a witch so blind with jealousy she had turned green who was trying to destroy them, the townsfolk still had time for gossip. She couldn’t let this go own, the avoidance of her by Ruby or Zelena trying to destroy her town. Her sister would not destroy the things she cared about.

Ahead of her she heard movement. Slowing her pace, she raised a hand in defense, ready to fight whatever creature was stalking her. If it was another flying monkey–

“Hey, careful there. Don’t shoot.” Ruby rested almost casually against a tree, one leg long in front of her the other bent. She pushed herself up, sitting straighter. Her face blanched.

In a few swift steps Regina had knelt down next to Ruby, running hands over her forehead and checking her over for cuts and bruises. “What happened?”

“Just ran too far,” she tried to keep her voice even but it came out weak.

“Let’s get you back to mine,” Regina said. Ruby started to protest but the shorter woman quieted her with a kiss to the forehead, “I live closer.” Now that she had found Ruby she didn’t want to let her go. The girl had clearly done something crazy, running until she was nearly unconscious. Slowly she helped Ruby stand up. For a moment Ruby leaned against her, before pressing away to stand on her own.

“I’ll be okay,” she ducked her head not meeting Regina’s gaze. “I don’t want to cause any problems.” She crossed her arms, shivering. 

“You won’t.”

“I mean with Robin and–“

“You are never a problem.” Regina tipped Ruby’s chin to look at her. “Come on now, let’s get you home. And you can tell me what possessed you to run so far.”

Ruby took a few shaky steps before her knees buckled. Regina caught her and managed to pick up the half conscious girl before she hit the forest floor. It was a miracle she didn’t drop her. They weren’t far from Regina’s place and if she cut through the park she could be back in almost no time. Ruby clung feebly to her neck, mumbling apologies as the smaller woman carried her back. 

The wind picked up, obscuring the moon. Regina heard the rain approaching before it hit. Large wet droplets that were freezing cold pelted them. Her fight with Zelena tonight would be a cold one if the weather didn’t clear. By the time Regina made it home with Ruby they were both soaked and the werewolf was delirious, not wanting to let go, murmuring something about how Regina smelled like home. And how she wished that they had never had to forget the lost year, because in losing those memories she lost her. 

By the time they had made it upstairs Ruby was crying and protesting. She’d be fine she just needed a glass of water and a snack and she could get home. The werewolf was losing control, her emotions running rampant. “I don’t want to get in the way.”

When Regina tried to strip her of her soaked clothes and get her into a warm bath Ruby pushed her away her eyes flashing yellow. Her attempt was weak but Regina let Ruby take control anyway. Ruby’s long finger’s grip feebly at the shorter woman’s wrists, trying to hold them apart but she didn’t have the energy to stand on her own and half collapsed against her. The werewolf pushed at Regina, but there’s no real fight behind it anymore, just pained desperation clearly mirrored in her words.

“Stop,” Regina ordered watching the other woman fight a losing battle in her head. “Ruby. _Ruby_.” She gently placed her hands on either side of Ruby’s face, thumbs gently wiping away tears. “My little wolf.” Ruby finally stopped her fight and relaxed into the other woman’s touch. Regina closed the last of the distance between them with a tilt of her head. They fit together so well. A rush of memories from the lost year of just how well flooded through her. She wanted little more than to deepen the kiss and show Ruby just how much she still meant to her. But even as Ruby responded Regina could feel her energy seeping away.

Regina held Ruby tightly her hands clasped behind the other woman’s back. It scared her to see the werewolf like this. She was living magic and extremely powerful, more than she ever realized. But something had her on the verge of collapse. There was no rational explanation for what was happening. It was the full moon, Ruby should have changed into the wolf by now. Regina’s breath felt tight and an invisible hand squeezed her heart. She couldn’t let whatever this was take Ruby from her, not now. Not when she finally had her back.

With a flick of her wrist she magicked off their clothes and stepped them into the oversized tub sinking into the warm water. Ruby curled against Regina slowly calming down. She could just make out two words escaping from Ruby’s lips _I’m scared_. 

“I’m here,” Regina whispered against the other woman’s hair. Her fingers trailed down Ruby’s arms, letting herself be reassured that the other woman was really there. Her Ruby, her little wolf, was back in her arms again. Even as she coaxed water and food into the exhausted girl she felt more at ease than she had in weeks. Even if things were dire now they had a chance at being okay again.

“I can’t change.” Ruby said simply.

“You mean–“

“I can feel the wolf, but she’s stuck inside of me somehow.”

“We’ll figure this out.” 

The water had grown tepid. Regina helped Ruby out of the tub and sat her on the counter to help her dry off. She gently traced each curve, letting her hands linger over the just dried skin. Warmth was returning to the hotblooded werewolf at last, and some of the color had started to return to her face. Wrapped in towels they rested there for a moment, foreheads touching. There was evil to fight and magic to be fixed but in this moment she could feel Ruby beneath her hands, alive and here, and that was more than she had this afternoon.

Ruby grew heavier with each breath as sleep threatened to take over. Wrapping the other woman’s long legs around her Regina picked her up, leaving the damp towels in a heap on the bathroom floor and moved to carry her to the bedroom. She wouldn’t let Ruby’s feet touch the ground, “You can put me down. I can walk ten feet to the bed.”

“No.” Regina said shaking her head. She carried Ruby to be bed and lay her down, climbing over top of her as she did so. She pulled the covers up around them and wrapped her arms and legs around Ruby, pulling her close. “I can’t let you go again. Knowing that we’ve lost time, and that we had forgotten.” Her voice shook and tears were rolling freely down her face. “I love you, Ruby–“

Her declaration was cut short by Ruby’s lips on hers. The kiss was slow and sweet, full of promise for later, desire and want far outstripping the energy needed to act. It had been too long since they had shared each other’s company, let alone a bed. Regina pulled away burying her face in the crook of Ruby’s neck and breathed in her scent, trying to calm down her racing heart. She could already feel the other woman drifting off to sleep.

“I have to go.”

“Wha- why?” Ruby said sleepily.

“Zelena.”

Ruby nodded and pulled Regina down for one more kiss, “Be careful. Come back to me.” 

It took time for Regina to pull herself away not wanting to leave Ruby alone or leave the feeling of their skin pressed together. By the time she dressed and made her way down to the clock tower she was late. Zelena would pay for putting her town and the people she loved in danger.


End file.
